Elizabeth still didn't comprehend. "What's the problem?"

"You're not right for this particular scene," Ethan stated firmly.

"Why not?" Elizabeth scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. "Is my body not good enough? Not appealing enough for your artistic vision, director?"

Ethan's expression darkened immediately.

He rarely lost his temper, but he held filming to the highest standards. He would scrap any scene that didn't meet his expectations, though he seldom showed outright anger unless pushed beyond his limits.

The air around him turned icy cold. The entire film set fell into complete silence as the atmosphere grew thick with tension.

"Elizabeth... please," Penelope whispered, gently pulling at Elizabeth's sleeve.

She feared this confrontation might escalate beyond repair.

After all, they couldn't afford to anger Ethan Parker - both a renowned director and a member of the powerful Levine family.

Elizabeth clenched her jaw and kicked a nearby chair, sending it crashing loudly to the ground.

Everyone stared in stunned silence as she stormed off the set.

Elizabeth knew better than anyone that Ethan wouldn't change his mind, even if she threatened extreme measures.

She remembered that drunken night when she'd tried to seduce him, thinking she could at least have his body if not his heart. He had pushed her away so forcefully she hit her head against the wall, requiring multiple stitches that left permanent scars.

Those scars had finally jolted her back to reality, breaking her obsessive need to possess him.

Back on set, the atmosphere remained tense as Ethan stared at the overturned chair with red-rimmed eyes.

Finally, he turned and snapped coldly, "Everyone back to work!"

The crew slowly returned to their tasks, though the assistant director kept glancing worriedly at Ethan, who had already immersed himself in filming again.

He sighed deeply.

Ethan had been the one to cut the bed scene entirely, clearly to protect Elizabeth's interests.

Actresses always faced more scrutiny and criticism when it came to intimate scenes, yet the investors had insisted on including something provocative for promotional purposes.

Ethan had no choice but to find a body double. They had screened countless candidates, concerned that a poor performance might negatively impact Elizabeth's character portrayal.

That's why they kept postponing the bed scene - all to protect Elizabeth's image and career.

But Elizabeth refused to understand his intentions.

Sometimes, adults became frighteningly skilled at hiding their true feelings!

Meanwhile, at the seven-star Ocean Villa on Ayro Island, Elise was sighing heavily after hanging up her phone.

"Don't worry. The wicked tend to live very long lives," William commented unexpectedly while checking his phone beside her.

Elise gave him a sideways glance, speechless.

"She really is your cousin, isn't she?" she said, scoffing at his apparent indifference toward Elizabeth's situation.

William pressed his lips together before defending himself. "First of all, Elizabeth has been in love with Ethan for years, and he's rejected her multiple times - what's one more rejection in the grand scheme? Second, she has Levine blood running through her veins, giving her a resilient heart that won't break over mere romantic disappointment - there's truly nothing to worry about."

"Moreover, relationships are matters for the people involved to figure out. Outside interference usually just makes things more complicated. And finally? Ethan did absolutely nothing wrong here."

Elise frowned.

She could somewhat agree with his first three points, but the last one bothered her.

"Is Elizabeth actually related to you?" she snapped. "Or is Ethan your real family?"

Even though Ethan was technically William's uncle by name, he was adopted and shared no blood relation.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was William's actual cousin. Who in their right mind would side with an outsider over family?!